Jump Ultimate Stars
|genre=2D versus fighting |modes=Single player, Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer |platforms=Nintendo DS |media=DS card }} is a fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS.Tor Thorsen, "Jump! Ultimate Stars details dished", GameSpot, September 28, 2006, http://uk.gamespot.com/news/jump-ultimate-stars-details-dished-6158968 It is the sequel to ''Jump Super Stars, also released for the DS. The game was released in Japan on November 23, 2006. There are no plans for the game to be released outside Japan. This is largely due to international licensing issues for the plethora of series represented. The game keeps many features from its predecessor, and adds many more. The game boasts 305 characters (56 of which are fully playable) from 41 different Weekly Shōnen Jump manga series compared to 160 characters (34 fully playable) from 27 different manga in the original. However, the characters from Hikaru no Go and Mr. Fullswing do not return in this sequel (Steel Ball Run is unaccounted for because it has been revised into a story arc within JoJo's Bizarre Adventure between the releases of both games). Gameplay The bulk of the gameplay is based around using koma ("panel" in Japanese, referring to the panels in a manga comic) that represent characters to create decks on a four by five grid. Koma come in various shapes and sizes, taking up one to eight blocks. There are three kinds of koma that can be initialized in battle: Battle, Support, and Help koma, with decks needing at least one of each type and an assigned leader before being playable. Battle koma are four to eight block koma that represent playable characters. They are based on various manga panels and are used to represent what kind of special attacks the characters have. Support koma are two or three block koma that represent non-playable characters that can perform actions such as attacks, healing or status effects. Help koma are one block koma that can give different boosts to characters they are placed next to. Each battle koma comes with a certain nature. These natures (Knowledge, Strength, and Laughter) act in a Rock, Paper, Scissors relationship with Strength beating Knowledge, Knowledge beating Laughter, and Laughter beating Strength. The stronger type will deal more damage to the weaker type. New komas can be unlocked by clearing challenges in Story mode, or evolving existing komas using gems collected in Story Mode to unlock new paths and komas, such as stronger variations of Battle koma. Battle Battles commence in arenas made to look like the page of a manga. Each arena has a unique background and obstacles based on the different manga series. They also contain a variety of different platforms. Many are static while others will move, break, or disappear and reappear randomly. Certain walls and floors are also destructible. During battles, players use their Battle komas to attack opponents, defeating them once they have taken enough damage or have knocked them off the stage. New Features Jump Ultimate Stars has been changed slightly from the gameplay of Jump Super Stars. Jump Ultimate Stars gives battle characters the ability to dash and to do a new attack while guarding, which, instead of breaking the guard of the opponent, forces them to change characters, and can be identified by a green glow coming out of the characters which executes it. Also, certain seven and eight panel koma (along with certain five and six panel koma) obtain a visual difference during battle as opposed to the appearance of the one to six koma of the very same character; some of these variations also bring a totally different set of attacks to the character (e.g. Luffy becomes Luffy (Gear 2nd) for his Level 7 & 8 koma, Naruto becomes Kyubii Naruto for his Level 7 & 8 koma, and Ichigo becomes Bankai Ichigo for his Level 7 & 8 level koma). Battle characters now have a new ability known as Ultimate Actions (UA). These UA are different for each character, as some recover health, other recover SP, while others can be used to dodge enemy attacks. Another new feature added is the Evolution Chart. This area allows players to upgrade their characters by spending gems (currency earned for KO'ing opponents) to buy a new koma. Each character has a chart, starting from the one block help koma and branching off into the two and three block Support and the four to eight block Battle koma. Some characters have alternate block paths which unlock a different type for that character (e.g. Goku as a Laughter type instead of a Power type), while others can be used to unlock koma for characters from the same series, quizzes for the series, and new worlds in the Story Mode. Represented series This is a list of represented series in Jump Ultimate Stars. Most of the main characters from each series appear as characters within the game. Note that almost all of the Battle characters are also Support and Help characters. This is also true for Support characters being Help characters. However, the exception is Sasuke Uchiha, Raoh, Freeza, Kid Buu, and Heihachi Edajima; these characters do not have a Support character koma, but they do have their Help koma alternative. The asterisk marks newly included series. There are 24 returning series with the addition of 17 new ones, concluding 41 in total. * Hokuto no Ken* (7 characters) ** Battle characters: Kenshiro and Raoh ** Support Characters: Toki, Rei ** Help Characters: Yuria, Bat, Lin * Black Cat (5 characters) ** Battle characters: Eve and Train Heartnet ** Support Characters: Sven Vollfied ** Help Characters: Saya Minatsuki, Kyoko Kirisaki * Bleach (17 characters) ** Battle characters: Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Renji Abarai ** Ichigo Kurosaki evolves into Ichigo Bankai (Lv7, Lv8) ** Support Characters: Uryū Ishida, Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, Yoruichi Shihōin, Kon, Byakuya Kuchiki, Sōsuke Aizen ** Help Characters: Zangetsu, Isshin Kurosaki, Tatsuki Arisawa, Kisuke Urahara, Kaname Tōsen, Gin Ichimaru * Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (12 characters) ** Battle characters: Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo and Don Patch (Ikarin Patch) ** Support Characters: Tokoro Tennosuke, Heppokomaru, Beauty, Gaoh ** Help Characters: Hatenko, Softon, Torpedo Girl, Dengakuman, Serviceman, KoPatch * Buso Renkin (4 characters) ** Battle character: Kazuki Muto ** Help Characters: Papillon, Captain Bravo, Tokiko Tsumura * Captain Tsubasa* (5 characters) ** Support Characters: Tsubasa Ōzora, Genzo Wakabayashi, Kojiro Hyuga ** Help Characters: Roberto Hongo, Sanae Nakazawa * Cobra* (3 characters) ** Support Characters: Cobra, Crystal Bowie, ''Armaroid Lady * D.Gray-man (9 characters) ** Battle characters: Allen Walker and Lenalee Lee ** Support Characters: Lavi, Yu Kanda, Aleister Crowley III ** Help Characters: Reever Wenhamm, Komui Lee, Miranda Lotto, Cross Marian * Death Note (5 characters) ** Support Characters: Light Yagami/Ryuk, L, Misa Amane, Near, Mello * Dr. Slump (7 characters) ** Battle characters: Arale Norimaki and Dr. Mashirito ** Support Characters: Gajira Norimaki, Unchi-kun ** Help Characters: Senbei Norimaki, Midori Norimaki, Obotchaman * Dragon Ball (13 characters) ** Battle characters: Son Gokū, Vegeta, Son Gohan, Gotenks, Piccolo, Freeza and Majin Boo ** Goku evolves into Super Saiyan Goku (Koma6), Super Saiyan 2 Goku (Super Saiyan 3 in his Kamehameha state) (Koma7) and Vegetto (Koma8) ** Support Characters: Kuririn, Trunks ** Help Characters: Turtle Hermit, Bulma, Northern Kaiō, Mr. Satan * Eyeshield 21 (17 characters) ** Support Characters: Sena Kobayakawa, Yoichi Hiruma, Ryokan Kurita, Tarō Raimon, Gen "Musashi" Takekura, The Ha-Ha Brothers, Seijuro Shin, Devil Bat, Cerberus ** Help Characters: Mamori Anezaki, Suzuna Taki, Daikichi Komusubi, Haruto Sakuraba, Natsuhiko Taki, Doburoku Sakaki, Manabu Yukimitsu, Tetsuo Ishimaru * Gintama (13 characters) ** Battle characters: Sakata Gintoki and Kagura ** Support Characters: Shimura Shinpachi, Katsura Kotarō/Elizabeth, Sarutobi Ayame, Kondo Isao, Hijikata Tōshirō, Okita Sōgo ** Help Characters: Otose, Shimura Tae, Hasegawa Taizō, Yamazaki Sagaru, Sadaharu * Hell Teacher Nūbē* (4 characters) ** Support Characters: Meisuke Nueno, Yukime ** Help Characters: Hiroshi Tateno, Kyōko Inaba * Hoshin Engi* (4 characters) ** Battle character: Taikōbō ** Support Characters: Dakki ** Help Characters: Ōtenkun, Sūpūshan * Hunter × Hunter (7 characters) ** Battle characters: Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck ** Support Characters: Kurapika, Hisoka, Chrollo Lucilfer ** Help Characters: Leorio Paradinight, Biscuit Krueger * I"s* (4 characters) ** Support Characters: Iori Yoshizuki, Itsuki Akiba ** Help Characters: Ichitaka Seto, Izumi Isozaki * JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (10 characters) ** Battle characters: Jotaro Kujo and Dio Brando ** Support Characters: Jonathan Joestar, Joseph Joestar, Josuke Higashikata, Giorno Giovanna, Jolyne Cujoh, Gyro Zeppeli ** Help Characters: Rohan Kishibe, Johnny Joestar * Jungle King Tar-chan* (4 characters) ** Support Character: Tar-chan ** Help Characters: Jane, Etekichi, Anabebe * Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (10 characters) ** Battle character: Tsunayoshi Sawada/Reborn ** Support Characters: Lambo, Takeshi Yamamoto, Hayato Gokudera, Bianchi, Yi-Ping, Kyoya Hibari ** Help Characters: Kyoko Sasagawa, Haru Miura, Leon * Kinnikuman* (10 characters) ** Battle character: Kinnikuman ** Support Characters: Terryman, Robin Mask, Warsman, Ramenman, Brocken Jr., Buffaloman, Asuraman ** Help Characters: Meat Alexandria, Mayumi Kinniku * Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo (15 characters) ** Battle character: Kankichi Ryotsu ** Support Characters: Daijiro Ohara, Reiko Akimoto, Keiichi Nakagawa, Hayato Honda, Neruo Higurashi, Volvo Saigō, Tatsunosuke Sakonji, Takeshi Kitano ** Help Characters: Matoi Giboshi, Ai Asato, Yōichi Terai, Haya Isowashi, Lemon Giboshi, Haru Midō * Majin Tantei Nōgami Neuro* (4 characters) ** Battle character: Neuro Nogami/Yako Katsuragi ** Help Characters: Akane, Eishi Sasazuka, X * Midori no Makibaō* (3 characters) ** Support Characters: Midori Makibaō, Cascade ** Help Characters: Chūbei * Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation* (7 characters) ** Battle character: Tōru Muhyō ** Support Characters: Jirō Kusano, Soratsugu Madoka, Yoichi Himukai, Yu Abiko ** Help Characters: Nana Takenouchi, Page Klaus * Naruto (9 characters) ** Battle characters: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake ** Naruto Uzumaki evolves into Nine-Tails Chakra Mode (Lv8) ** Support Characters: Gaara ** Help Characters: Jiraiya, Tsunade, Sai, Orochimaru * Ninku* (3 characters) ** Battle character: Fūsuke ** Help Characters: Pochi, Hiroyuki * One Piece (10 characters) ** Battle characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Nico Robin and Franky ** Monkey D. Luffy evolves LV8 in Luffy: Gear Second and Gear Third ** Support Characters: Usopp (Sogeking), Chopper ** Help Characters: Shanks, Kiwi and Mozu * The Prince of Tennis (9 characters) ** Support Characters: Ryoma Echizen, Kunimitsu Tezuka, Shusuke Fuji, Shuichiro Oishi/Kikumaru Eiji, Takeshi Momoshiro, Kaoru Kaido, Takashi Kawamura, Sadaharu Inui, Keigo Atobe * Pyu to Fuku! Jaguar (7 characters) ** Battle character: Jaguar ** Support Characters: Piyohiko, Hammer, Hami ** Help Characters: Takana Shirakawa, Chichijiro Saketome, Porgy * Rokudenashi Blues* (5 characters) ** Support Characters: Taison Maeda ** Help Characters: Katsuji Yamashita, Yoneji Sawamura, Chiaki Nanase, Masahiko Kondo * Rurouni Kenshin (7 characters) ** Battle character: Kenshin Himura ** Support Characters: Sanosuke Sagara, Hajime Saitō, Makoto Shishio, Yahiko Myōjin ** Help Characters: Kaoru Kamiya, Seijūrō Hiko XIII * Saint Seiya* (7 characters) ** Battle character: Pegasus Seiya ** Pegasus Seiya evolves into Sagittarius Seiya (Lv8) ** Support Characters: Dragon Shiryu, Cygnus Hyoga, Andromeda Shun, Phoenix Ikki ** Help Characters: Saori Kido, Aries Mu * Sakigake!! Otokojuku* (10 characters) ** Battle characters: Momotarō Tsurugi and Heihachi Edajima ** Support Characters: Jaki Daigōin, Omito Date, Hien, J ** Help Characters: Genji Togashi, Ryuji Toramaru, Raiden, Wang Taren * Shaman King (8 characters) ** Battle characters: Yoh Asakura and Anna Kyōyama ** Support Characters: Hao Asakura ** Help Characters: Tao Ren, Horokeu Usui, Manta Oyamada, Amidamaru, Chocolove McDonell * Slam Dunk (7 characters) ** Support Characters: Hanamichi Sakuragi, Kaede Rukawa, Takenori Akagi, Hisashi Mitsui, Ryota Miyagi ** Help Characters: Haruko Akagi, Mitsuyoshi Anzai * Strawberry 100% (7 characters) ** Support Characters: Aya Tōjō, Tsukasa Nishino, Satsuki Kitaōji, Yui Minamito ** Help Characters: Misuzu Sotomura, Junpei Manaka, Hiroshi Sotomura * Taizō Mote King Saga* (3 characters) ** Support Characters: Taizō Momote, Spin ** Help Characters: Aisu Sado * Tottemo! Luckyman* (3 characters) ** Support characters: Luckyman, Superstarman ** Help Characters: Doryokuman * Yu-Gi-Oh! (5 characters) ** Battle character: Yūgi Mutō ** Support characters: Seto Kaiba ** Help Characters: Katsuya Jōnouchi, Hiroto Honda, Anzu Mazaki * YuYu Hakusho (6 characters) ** Battle characters: Yusuke Urameshi, Kurama and Hiei ** Support Characters: Kazuma Kuwabara ** Help Characters: Genkai, Botan Reception Metacritic gave it 89/100 based on 5 critic reviews. References External links * [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/ajuj/index.html Jump Ultimate Stars Official Website] * Ganbarion's Official Website ja:ファミコンジャンプ Category:Video games